UCSB has preserved their spot as the university with the highest percentage of registered voters in the nation!
According to the Daily Nexus, "With 5,031 students officially registered to vote in the upcoming California primaries, UCSB has claimed the highest proportion of registered voters of any university in the nation, accounting for nearly 39 percent of all registered University of California voters. According to a UC Student Association press release, the UC Students Vote! project, which mobilizes students across the state to do peer-to-peer voter registration, recruited a total of 12,918 voters system wide. UCSB was trailed by UC Los Angeles with 1,787 graduate and undergraduate students registered out of about 36,000 total students."
Now, take into consideration that UCSB has a student population of 20,000, compared to UCLA's 36,000. 25% of our student body is registered to vote, compared to just 3% of UCLA's student body. WHOA.
So we have the highest % of registered voters than any other campus in the nation, now let's make sure we get the highest % for voter turnout on election day!
GOTV February 5th!!!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Young Voters are on the move!
Young people came out in record numbers during the Iowa caucus last week! Check out these numbers:
-56,000 folks under the age of 30 showed up to caucus last Thursday night, even when students were in the middle of their winter break
-According to CNN Entrance polls, 22% of Democratic caucus-goers were between the ages of 17 and 29
-The number of young caucus-goers equaled the number of voters over 65, according to CNN
I worked at a caucus last Thursday night registering caucus goers and unregistered Iowans (Iowa recently adopted a day-of voter registration policy), so I personally witnessed how many young people showed up to caucus that night, and I was SO PROUD.
Woo-hoo! Now let's make sure to register tons of voters in Santa Barbara, and turn them out for our upcoming elections. Let our voices be heard!
-56,000 folks under the age of 30 showed up to caucus last Thursday night, even when students were in the middle of their winter break
-According to CNN Entrance polls, 22% of Democratic caucus-goers were between the ages of 17 and 29
-The number of young caucus-goers equaled the number of voters over 65, according to CNN
I worked at a caucus last Thursday night registering caucus goers and unregistered Iowans (Iowa recently adopted a day-of voter registration policy), so I personally witnessed how many young people showed up to caucus that night, and I was SO PROUD.
Woo-hoo! Now let's make sure to register tons of voters in Santa Barbara, and turn them out for our upcoming elections. Let our voices be heard!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
....And she sold her vote for 2 t-shirts
I am in Iowa City, Iowa working for the Edwards campaign for the caucus coming up on Thursday. As you can imagine, it's getting pretty intense out here (not to mention freaking cold), and I've heard some pretty ludacris stories of dirty politicking.
Today, an Edwards precinct captain in a rural part of Iowa called the office to say that she had switched over to the Clinton campaign. "Sorry!" she said. Apparently, two Clinton campaign workers had trekked through the cold snow and offered this woman not just one, but two, TWO, beautiful, Hillary t-shirts (undoubtedly crafted by some poor exploited worker in a developing country), if she would switch over from Edwards to support Hillary. Of course, the woman had to accept! Those Clinton campaigners just looked so cold and miserable, that she felt obligated. Oh, but don't worry, the woman still hopes that John Edwards will win the caucus, and will vote for him in the general election.
Did I mention that this precint only selects one delegate, and that only 17 people are expected to show up at this caucus? Soo..it is kind of a big deal.
This event is disturbing on several fronts:
1) Outright bribery. I hate to see politics sink to this level, where's the integrity in convincing people to vote for you by offering them t-shirts?
2) The precinct captain fell for the outright bribery! How can you switch who you are supporting for the president of the United States by merely accepting two t-shirts? Clearly, the woman does not realize how disproportionatily important her vote is for the entire presidential election.
3) The Edwards campaign really does need this woman's support. No action has been taken yet, but will we have to stoop to the Clinton campaigns level and "bribe" the former precinct captain back? Is this really what we've come to?
Unfortunately, I've noticed that most (but not all!) Iowans seem not to realize the importance, and privilege, of the role of the Iowa caucus. Only 6% of registered voters in Iowa usually participate in the caucus. Since Iowa plays such a pivotal role in the entire presidential election, what does that say about democracy in the US?
As with the 1968 Democratic convention, "the whole world is watching" Iowa, and is anxiously waiting to see what will happen come Thursday evening.
Now, who has some Edwards t-shirts they'd be willing to give up?
Today, an Edwards precinct captain in a rural part of Iowa called the office to say that she had switched over to the Clinton campaign. "Sorry!" she said. Apparently, two Clinton campaign workers had trekked through the cold snow and offered this woman not just one, but two, TWO, beautiful, Hillary t-shirts (undoubtedly crafted by some poor exploited worker in a developing country), if she would switch over from Edwards to support Hillary. Of course, the woman had to accept! Those Clinton campaigners just looked so cold and miserable, that she felt obligated. Oh, but don't worry, the woman still hopes that John Edwards will win the caucus, and will vote for him in the general election.
Did I mention that this precint only selects one delegate, and that only 17 people are expected to show up at this caucus? Soo..it is kind of a big deal.
This event is disturbing on several fronts:
1) Outright bribery. I hate to see politics sink to this level, where's the integrity in convincing people to vote for you by offering them t-shirts?
2) The precinct captain fell for the outright bribery! How can you switch who you are supporting for the president of the United States by merely accepting two t-shirts? Clearly, the woman does not realize how disproportionatily important her vote is for the entire presidential election.
3) The Edwards campaign really does need this woman's support. No action has been taken yet, but will we have to stoop to the Clinton campaigns level and "bribe" the former precinct captain back? Is this really what we've come to?
Unfortunately, I've noticed that most (but not all!) Iowans seem not to realize the importance, and privilege, of the role of the Iowa caucus. Only 6% of registered voters in Iowa usually participate in the caucus. Since Iowa plays such a pivotal role in the entire presidential election, what does that say about democracy in the US?
As with the 1968 Democratic convention, "the whole world is watching" Iowa, and is anxiously waiting to see what will happen come Thursday evening.
Now, who has some Edwards t-shirts they'd be willing to give up?
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